


Souls and Swords for the Black Parade

by suchaletdown



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Demons, Gen, Minor Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Swords, The Black Parade, Weapons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:56:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29555271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suchaletdown/pseuds/suchaletdown
Summary: “That guy in a hoodie.”“Brian.”“Whatever. He didn’t say much. What is it? The Black Parade?”“Well, I’m not good at explaining stuff,” Ray said slowly. “But it’s like… another dimension where we live and wait… to descend to the mortal world.”“To fight… demons,” Frank was still processing it.“To protect the living.”
Comments: 6
Kudos: 15





	1. The Prologue

There was nothing but smoke. Frank looked around trying to spot any people who crowded around when he fell down, shapes of brick walls, anything. But he could see only clouds of smoke floating above and below, everywhere around him.

“What’s going on?” Frank asked. His voice sounded muffled and weak.

“I think you already know.” This voice, on the contrary, was strong and deep, coming out of everywhere.

Frank touched his stomach and winced from pain. He was stabbed. Some guy at the show _just stabbed him_.

“Oh my god,” Frank shook his head. “This is impossible.”

“Bold of you to think so.”

Frank looked around, trying to find the sound source. Suddenly, the smoke right in front of him started to thicken. Now Frank could distinguish the head and shoulders. He took a step back. A man was a bit taller than Frank, most of his face was covered in the shadow of the hood. Frank could see only pale chin and thin lips. His silhouette was vague and blended in with the smoke around. The man was wearing a plain black hoodie. “What the Hell?” Frank thought.

“So tell me what is going on,” the man’s voice no longer sounded everywhere. It concentrated on his barely moving lips.

“I died,” Frank responded quietly. “Right?”

“Right.” The man echoed.

“And now what?”

“You have a choice.”

Frank raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Never heard of anything like that.”

“Only a handful have.”

“So what is it? Going to heaven or becoming a ghost and wandering the Earth forever?”

The man smirked and it made Frank shiver.

“Hell,” the man started and everything in Frank went numb. “Or a chance to deserve Heaven. One hundred years of service in the Black Parade.”

“What is this service?”

“Protecting people from doubts, fears, temptations and everything that represents them.” The man uttered slowly. “You’re used to the word ‘demons’, I believe.”

“One hundred years?”

“Your chance to earn mercy.”

“But I was killed. Don't I get a free pass upstairs?”

“It doesn’t make much difference anymore.”

Frank breathed out loudly. One hundred years. Sounded huge in comparison to Frank’s twenty-six, but probably not so much compared to eternity in Hell.

“Protecting means… killing these… demons?”

“If you want to put it this way, then yes.”

“I’ve never killed in my life.”

“Well, your life is over. You can start a new one however you like.”

Frank wasn’t ready for this. Nobody had warned him about life-changing decisions he would have to make _after_ his life was over.

“I’ll take my chance.”

“Are you making this decision voluntarily?” The man held out a hand to Frank.

“Yes.” Frank answered after a long pause and took the hand cautiously. Suddenly, his own hand cramped as if he pulled it out of the pocket in the cold.

“I accept it.”


	2. A New Marching

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! first of all, i'd like to thank you for taking some time to read this work! the black parade has always been very insipiring to me, both as an album and a world mcr created. this story's lived in my head for a while and i decided it was time to bring it to life and share with other people.
> 
> a huge thanks to chieana strider for editing this chapter and giving me some really helpful advice!
> 
> the story starts here and i really hope you will enjoy it as much as i did when i was writing it!

“God the place _stinks_ ,” Frank said interrupted by his own cough. It did stink. Smoke, dust and something else, something bitter.

“You’ll get used to it soon.”

The dense veil of smoke let in a tall man with curly hair that almost touched his wide shoulders. He was dressed in a soldier’s uniform. A parade uniform.

“Parade,” Frank whispered. He looked at his hand and clenched it into a fist. His fingertips were still cold.

“You just cut my welcome speech in half, thank you! I’m Ray,” the man’s voice, a bit higher than you’d expect it to be, sounded so enthusiastic that Frank couldn’t help but smile at the stranger hesitantly, slightly shaking his hand.

“Frank,” Frank coughed again to clear his throat. He could barely smell anything now. “Am I really dead?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry.”

Frank frowned trying to remember what happened last night. Tiny club. Smell of sweat and beer. A guy who loved to push strangers and couldn’t keep his fucking mouth shut. His hand unknowingly touched his stomach but nothing hurt. Not anymore.

“Fucker,” Frank muttered. He felt anger rising from his stomach, squeezing his chest and throat and then rolling back slowly. Like a wave.

“Excuse me?”

“Nevermind.”

“C’mon, we have to go.”

The smoke started to dissipate, allowing Frank to look around properly. He and Ray were walking in a desert but instead of golden hot sand the ground was covered in thick layer of grey dust. Frank looked back. The desert seemed endless, like any other, and merged with the grey sky on the horizon. However, there was something taking shape ahead. Some spires, maybe some buildings.

“That guy in a hoodie.”

“Brian.”

“Whatever. He didn’t say much. What is it? The Black Parade?”

“Well, I’m not good at explaining stuff,” Ray said slowly. “But it’s like… another dimension where we live and wait… to descend to the mortal world.”

“To fight… demons,” Frank was still processing it.

“To protect the living.”

“And us? Are we… the dying?” Frank’s voice broke in the end and Ray didn’t like the sound of it.

“We call ourselves the Marching,” he continued carefully.

There was no response, so Ray slowed down a bit and watched Frank from the corner of his eye. Soon Frank broke the silence again and Ray heard the same disturbing notes.

“So where are we?” 

“Right now? The Wasteland.”

“Nice. Couldn’t come up with anything more cheerful?”

“Could you?”

Frank looked around and winced. _Fair._

“Okay, the Wasteland. But the Wasteland what? New Mexico? Australia?” Frank felt his chest compressed, the second wave was much stronger. “Fucking Mars? Where exactly are we?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Well, it seems like we have time for all complications in the world, we’re fucking dead! Dead!”

The tantrum that Frank felt was about to break out was interrupted by a slap in his face. A friendly voice and _a surprisingly heavy hand_. Frank took a deep shocked breath. The pain was like a spark, bright and quick.

“Better?” Ray asked.

“A bit.”

“Look,” Ray’s face softened. Playing the tough guy was hard for him, it was obvious. “It’s gonna take a while, okay? You’re right, we have time here. But the sooner you get used to it, the easier your transition will be.”

“Transition?”

“Your mortal life is over. You need to accept it.”

Everything inside Frank went numb.

“Are you about to pass out?”

“I don’t know. Will it make my transition easier!?” Frank spat out half sarcastically, half hysterically.

The pain from the next slap faded even faster than the first one. Frank didn’t know why it made him so much angrier. Frank didn’t know why his hand clenched into a fist and hit his new acquaintance in the face. Frank didn’t know why.

“Oh my god!” Frank blurted out. “Oh god! It was supposed to be a soft slap, I swear. I don’t know how it happened.”

Frank barely noticed the moment Ray _snapped._ It only took a second and then they were both rolling on the ground choking on dust. Frank finally let the wave crash over him. His fists rarely reached the target but it wasn’t the point anyway. He felt the pressure stepping away slowly. Finally, Ray threw Frank off himself and stood up. Frank stayed on the ground, spitting out dust.

“Better now?” Ray asked, cleaning his jacket, unbothered like there wasn’t a bleeding wound on his cheekbone.

“Much better.” Frank answered and took the hand Ray offered. “You’re…” He stood up and pointed at the wound. “I’m sorry.”

Confused Ray touched the wound and wiped off the blood, or more like smeared it over his cheek.

“You didn’t feel anything?”

“Well, it tickled a bit,” Ray shrugged his shoulders and headed towards the buildings. Frank caught up with him quickly.

“It tickled a bit.” He smirked. “Motherfucker.”

“Hey! Careful.”

“Sorry. No need to kick my ass again, not until you teach me how to do the same.”

“Oh, so now you want me to teach you,” Ray said with a smirk.

“You have to, don’t you?”

“No? I didn’t sign up for this shit. I was just nearby and found you by accident. Usually new-comers appear closer to the city, not in the middle of fucking nowhere.”

“You said the city? You live in the city? Finally, some good fucking news.”

Ray stayed silent. Finally, they got close enough for Frank to take a proper look at the city. Or what was left of it. Covered in soot, dilapidated walls with only a few buildings left standing that actually looked like buildings. Ashes were floating in the air smoothly falling on charred beams, boards and bricks. Little pieces of coal were lying by the walls and smoldering slowly, lighting up and fading again as if they were breathing, heavily and wearily.

“Wh…” Frank looked shocked. “What happened? Were you attacked?”

“It’s the Burning City. It’s always been like that.”

Wherever Frank looked, he saw rickety houses and walls that were about to fall, but were frozen in time so the wind couldn’t bother them. _Oh, this wind._ At first, Frank had thought he had tinnitus, but the closer they were to the city, the louder the sound got. It didn’t sound like usual wind whistling, it was howling. Not that caricature howling from old movies or cartoons that was supposed to scare you but never did. No, it was an inhuman sound that crawled under your skin and buzzed in your bones.

“The guy said Hell or this place. What’s the fucking difference?”

“Do you see any evil horned guys poking your ass with a giant red-hot fork?”

“No way Hell _actually_ looks like this.”

“Well, I don’t know, I’ve never seen it.”

“Wait, really? Then how can you know _this place_ is better if you’ve never seen the other one?”

“Frank, people always compare everything the most hideous and painful to hell. Do you really want to check if they were right?”

“People say a lot of bullshit. For example…”

Frank didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence. Some guy stormed out of the most decent looking building Frank had noticed so far. He was followed by another guy, another extremely loud guy.

“And don’t you dare start this conversation ever again!”

The guy was breathing heavily, his eyes were practically burning on his deathly pale face. His short hair was silver white, which made the guy’s head look like a bare skull. The white stripes on his jacket reminded Frank of ribs. He wondered if it was done on purpose. Still pissed off, the skeleton guy looked at Ray, who was covered in dust and had blood dripping down his cheekbone.

“What the hell happened to you?” the guy asked. Then he noticed Frank.

“Who is this? A new-comer?” He glanced at Ray who nodded in response. Suddenly, something clicked for this guy. The fire in the eyes went out, he fully focused on Frank. He straightened out and frowned a bit.

“Come in.” His voice had changed too, it was lower now.

Frank looked at Ray and arched his eyebrows in a silent question: “ _This guy?_ ” Ray only smirked and followed the screamer.

The place didn’t look much better on the inside. Broken windows, a few holes in the ceiling and the floor covered with hundreds of footprints. The old door had been removed, or more like ripped off the hinges, it crookedly covered the entrance to the next room. Frank noticed some writing on the walls.

“Name?”

Fake low voice caught his attention again and Frank turned to the skeleton guy.

“Frank.”

“Franklin? Francis?”

“God no, just Frank.”

“It can’t be _just Frank_.”

“Well sorry, I didn’t know I’d need my driver license here.”

The guy gave Frank the death stare.

“I wouldn’t,” Ray stepped in softly.

“Okay, what happened to you?” The guy breathed out and looked back at Ray. “To both of you? Raymond?”

Frank had to bite his lip to hold back a chuckle.

“ _Raymond?_ ” He mouthed silently. His new friend only rolled his eyes.

“We fought.” Ray shrugged his shoulders.

“You what!?”

“Therapeutically.”

The two men just stared at each other. One was completely bewildered, the look of the other one said, “everything is under control,” despite having the only bleeding face in the room. 

“He’s right!” Frank’s voice made the skeleton guy turn to him so he took a step forward. “Look…”

“Gerard.”

“Gerard. _Gerard?_ Sorry! Ray is right. I freaked out and he helped me. You don’t need to punish him.”

“Who said I was gonna punish him?” Both Gerard and Ray looked at Frank in confusion.

“You,” he hesitated for a second. “weren’t?”

“I wanted to know why you were so scruffy. Your uniform is brand new, c’mon,” Gerard said in a tone, Frank labeled as “tired of irresponsible idiots”.

 _Uniform._ Frank looked down for the first time. He was wearing a uniform. Stripes like on Ray and Gerard’s jackets but Frank’s had striped sleeves as well. _Sick._

“Wait,” A smile brightened Frank’s face, maybe for the first time since he got here. “How do I look?”

“Too stripy to my taste,” Ray responded.

“Hey! You still have another cheekbone I can injure.”

“If I were you, I wouldn’t boast of an accident that much.”

“I don’t have time for this now.” Gerard shook his head and looked at Ray. “Will you show him around?”

“Of course.”

“Good.” He lowered his voice to almost a whisper. “Come back to me when you’re done, okay?”

Ray nodded silently and headed for the exit.

“C’mon Frank, we have a lot of things to do.”

Frank nodded slightly and followed Ray.

“Frank.”

Frank stopped and turned back to Gerard.

“Welcome to the Black Parade.”

Frank could bet he saw a little smile flashing over Gerard’s face. And he didn’t hesitate to give it back.

“Thank you.”

***

“So where are we heading, _Raymond?_ ”

“Shut up. He always does this in front of the new-comers. He thinks it helps him be taken seriously.”

“But his name is really Gerard?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Well maybe it’s a coping mechanism,” Frank shrugged. “If my name was Gerard, I’d drag everyone I could down with me.”

Ray snorted.

“He seems nice though.” Frank nodded to himself. “He’s some kind of a leader here, isn’t he? That’s why you brought me there first. ‘Look what fish got into our nets today! What do you think about this one? Too stripy to my taste.’”

“It hurt you that much? Really?” Ray smirked.

“More than your slap, dude.” Frank shook his head dramatically.

“Is that a new face or did that stinky fucker in Dallas slam my head into the wall so hard that I’m hallucinating?” A cheerful voice made Frank and Ray turn towards it.

A woman in the same parade uniform went towards them. Her bright red hair sat in a high ponytail and burned brightly against the backdrop of dusty grey ruins. She carried a long thin sword in her left hand, smoke rising from the blade. Her face was covered in dirty stains but she smiled widely.

“Lydia!” Ray smiled back at her. “You’re back already. Where’s Danny?”

“Went to Gerard. Things were rough today. No big deal. We’ll talk about it later.” She waved her hand as soon as Ray opened his mouth and turned to Frank. “Hey! I’m Lydia.”

“Hey! Frank.” He shook her hand and nodded to her sword. “Cool thing.”

“You haven’t gotten yours yet?”

“Not yet. Why not, actually?” Frank turned his head to Ray.

“We’re on our way. We just left Gerard.”

“Oh, so you met our leader.” Lydia’s smile got wider. “What do you think?”

“He seems nice.”

“Oh, he’s great!”

“He has everyone charmed around here. Everyone except that guy he was yelling at when we arrived. Remember, Ray?”

“Right, about that…” Ray winced a bit.

“I’d stay out of it,” Lydia stepped in. “Overall, he’s great.”

“He is!” Ray perked up . “I don’t know how but he sends out the perfect team for each mission so everyone comes back safe and sound. No one of the Marching has died in the last ten years.”

“He’s right,” Lydia nodded.

“Wait,” Frank interrupted them. “What do you mean no one has died? We can die? But we’re already dead.”

Ray and Lydia looked at each other.

“The bodies are but the souls aren’t.” Lydia started carefully. “On each mission you put your soul at stake.”

“No, no, no, no, no.” Frank shook his head. “That guy said Hell or one hundred years of service at this fucking circus and then Heaven. _That_ was the deal.”

“And the deal stands but nobody guaranteed your safety,” Ray said.

“Are you fucking kidding me!? And what happens if I die here?”

“Well you’re more likely to die in the mortal world than here. The world of the Black Parade is secured and…”

“Ray!” It felt like an invisible ring pulled Frank’s chest tight.

“You will disappear. Your soul will just vanish,” Ray answered quietly.

Frank couldn’t breathe. The jacket felt like a cage, squeezing his ribs. He pulled it off and threw on the ground.

“Fuck it,” he breathed out and headed towards the Wasteland.

“Frank.”

Ray took a step forward but Lydia’s firm hand stopped him.

“He’s not going anywhere. Give him some time.”

***

Where was he going to go? What was he going to do? Frank had no idea but when you keep moving, you'll get somewhere eventually, right? Frank looked forward where the ground was blending in with the sky. _No._ Nothing in this world worked as it should have, not as Frank expected. So he just sat down, right in the middle of fucking nowhere, as Ray said.

“FUUUCK.” The scream was so pure, so honest, coming from the bottom of his lungs.

_I don't know what to do. I hate this fucking place. Fuck that hoodie guy. Fuck that asshole that carried a fucking knife to a gig._

Eventually, Frank ran out of air and put his head down. He felt empty. His thoughts went back to his final night. Had he known it was his final night? Had he felt anything? No. Whether this premonition thing was bullshit, or Frank just couldn’t hear anything because of the loud music. The music _had been_ loud and the band had been great. The crowd had gone nuts. Frank had loved it.

He loved gigs both on stage and in the crowd. Maybe he loved it a bit more on stage. Even though he hadn’t had that many shows recently. He still could feel that last nerve-racking moment backstage that was wiped out the second he stepped into stage lights. The roar of the crowd echoing the first guitar chord. The energy coursing over the stage and through the audience throughout the whole gig. That energy was the only reason Frank agreed to play practically for free again and again.

These memories brought Frank on the verge of tears and then, he felt something.

“Premonition? Really?” Frank said out loud. “Don’t even get me started on how fucking late you are, dude.”

Something twitched inside of him again, making Frank raise his head and look around. He was still alone, the desert still seemed endless. Frank stood up. It wasn't like somebody was calling for him. Frank didn’t hear any voices but he knew he should go.

_When you keep moving, you'll get somewhere eventually, right?_

It was that energy. The kind of energy that used to tell him to go and smash the amps or fall onto the drum sets during shows. _Frank would never have done it by himself._ Now this energy led him somewhere. The dusty ground still made no sense, the cloudy sky remained indifferent but something had changed.

Frank didn't know how long he'd been walking through the desert but he finally noticed something in front of him. A black stain on the dead surface of the ground. Frank wasn’t exactly the area expert but he was pretty sure this stain hadn’t been here before. Coming closer Frank realized it was a small lake. A tiny lake. Okay, more like a puddle. An incredibly deep puddle with pitch black water. At least, Frank hoped it was water.

No sane person would stick their hand in this puddle. In spite of everything that had happened to him today, Frank still considered himself a sane man. Yet somehow, he knew he had to do exactly that.

“No way.” Frank shook his head. “No fucking way.”

_Do it._

“Destroying the stage – great. Breaking my fucking toes – fine. But I'm not gonna shove my hand in there.”

The last thing he'd like to do after dying was voluntarily losing his hand. But maybe it was time to question his sanity because Frank could swear he saw something shine in the jet black puddle.

_Now._

“For fuck's sake,” Frank breathed out and carefully put his hand in the water.

Surprisingly, it felt like actual water, a bit cool and refreshing. Frank calmed down a bit. Suddenly, the tips of his fingers touched something firm and cold.

_A sword._

Frank had never touched a sword in his life but he knew it was the sword. His sword. Carefully, his fingers explored the blade and reached for the handle. The steel was getting warmer. Maybe it was just Frank's heart beating so hard that he could feel it even in his hand but maybe it was the sword itself. The guts were telling him Frank it was the last one.

Slowly and carefully he dragged the sword from the water.

“Holy shit,” Frank whispered.

It was the first and the most beautiful sword in his life. He used to only have such feelings for guitars. The handle of the sword reminded Frank of a guitar neck. There were thin lines that looked like frets and strings, with ends twisted loosely on the blade. But instead of tuning keys on the head stock, the handle was the handle was inlaid with a black gem.

Frank was smiling while the steel slowly cooled in his hands. Suddenly, he heard a strange noise, like a gurgle, behind him. Frank turned around. The same cracked ground, with no sign of the black water.

“You know where to go?” he asked the sword quietly.

_She knew._

***

“Calm _down_. If the guy doesn’t show up in a few minutes, we’ll go and find him,” Lydia was sitting on a windowsill, wiping the blade of her sword on the hem of her jacket.

“How!? The Wasteland is fucking endless, how are we supposed to find him?”

Ray was walking back and forth squeezing Frank’s jacket in his hands like a mother who couldn’t find her son in the playground and the only thing the little bastard left was his jacket so now he was somewhere lost _and_ freezing.

“Well, thank him for saving us time.” Lydia jumped off the windowsill and moved to Ray. He turned his head to the Wasteland and squinted. A silhouette was getting closer. Soon both Ray and Lydia could clearly see Frank carrying something in his hand.

“That’s promising,” she said with a smile.

“No way.” Ray couldn’t believe his eyes.

But they both saw it.

“No way,” repeated Ray as Frank approached them with a wide proud smile on his face. “Oh, stop smiling, asshole. Never do that again!”

“He was worried.” Lydia smiled.

“You’re my responsibility and I don’t like screwing up my responsibilities!”

“You were worried,” Frank teased. “But I think I just skipped the next step of our excursion, right?”

“Oh yeah, you did.”

All three of them stared at the blade charmed by the cold reflection of the sky, and their own distorted faces.

“How did you find it?” Lydia looked at Frank.

“Her,” Frank corrected subconsciously.

“Her,” she smiled softly.

“I don’t know. I was sitting there,” Frank paused. “Thinking and then I heard her, no, I felt her calling.”

“The sword is fueled and driven by positive emotions of the owner,” Ray said. “She was woken up by happy memories. What were you thinking of?”

“Music,” Frank said with a smile.

Lydia perked up and glanced at Ray.

“What?” Frank asked.

“Nothing,” Ray responded.

“Have you come up with a name yet?” Lydia asked briskly, running her fingertips along the sharp blade.

“Bella,” Frank said, rubbing the handle of the sword.

“Can’t wait to see her in action,” Ray said.

“Now things are getting interesting,” Lydia smiled.


	3. Awake and Unafraid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> seeing people being excited about this story means a lot, thank you very much!! and a huge thanks to chieana strider for editing this chapter!!

“We both want the same thing, right?” Frank asked. “We’re a team.”

He’d been on his way to another practice with Ray when he decided it was time to have a proper talk. So he crouched and leaned Bella against the wall in front of him. The black gem on her handle reflected splashes of fire indifferently.

It was Frank’s third day in the Black Parade and the only thing he had learned in these three days was that his sword had ‘a character’. That’s how Lydia described whatever the fuck Bella had been doing. And Frank would have been proud of this ‘character’ if he could understand how to deal with it. The handle of his sword had often gotten warm when he had touched it, even accidentally. At night, when he’d been talking to her, he’d felt that she’d been trying to talk back. Overall, Bella was always ready to respond right up to the moment Frank had to meet Ray for practice. It drove Frank crazy.

“Look, I respect whatever is going on inside your…” Frank paused for a second. “Gem. But the sooner we start practicing, the sooner Gerard will send us to a mission. The real world. I know you want to see it as much as I do. So let’s do this. Today. _Please_.”

Nothing happened. Frank didn’t feel anything.

“I’ll take this silence as a ‘yes.’”

Frank stood up, sheathed the sword and hurried to Ray. The clock on the highest tower struck ten in the morning.

***

“Now close your eyes and think. Try to bring back the memories. You take the guitar. Your fingers hold the strings. The familiar pressure on your fingertips. You strike the first chord. The guitar and your whole body vibrate with it. Full synchrony.”

Frank opened one eye and shot a look at Ray.

“That’s very graphic.”

“Frank.”

“No, I mean, should I leave you alone?”

“Frank!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. We’ve been trying the whole morning and nothing. Again. I feel nothing.”

“Maybe she doesn’t want you to think of anybody else when she’s in your hands.” Gerard’s voice appeared out of nowhere. Frank wondered how long he’d been watching them. His first attempts to wake Bella had been pretty embarrassing.

“Excuse me?”

“Our swords are not just a tool. They’re our partners. They have souls. You’ve already experienced this, haven’t you? As long as the marching carries the sword, the fight isn’t over,” Gerard paused. “‘You'll never get me alive,’ you know?”

Frank wasn’t sure he knew. It seemed like Gerard’s thoughts were far away from here. But his eyes focused on Frank’s sword a moment later.

“What’s her name?”

“Bella.”

Gerard smiled. Everyone who heard her name smiled. It made Frank proud for some reason. Suddenly, he felt the handle getting warmer. He gave Gerard a surprised look.

“All it takes is just a bit of your attention.” Gerard smiled at him, then raised his voice so Ray could hear him too. “Everyone has different approaches, though.”

Ray smirked at that.

“Thank you.” Frank smiled. “I thought I was hopeless.”

“Nobody’s hopeless. Not even us, no matter what you think.”

Somehow Gerard knew. He knew about Frank’s doubts. Ray had probably told him. Frank didn’t walk his words back but he hadn’t thought they would reach the top.

“I think it’s time to introduce Bella to Rosewood,” Gerard continued with a smile.

“Rosewood?”

Frank heard some clanging behind him. When he turned around, he saw a sword in Ray’s hands. It was a huge shining sword with some engraving running down the blade. Instead of the amiable, shy guy Frank had gotten to know, he was standing in front of a real warrior who’d survived many battles. Ray looked both majestic and eerie with the weapon in his hands.

“Wow,” Frank whispered in awe.

“I know.” Gerard looked astonished too, despite seeing it for the millionth time.

“Stop it,” Ray said, trying to keep up the facade but his tone gave him away. Frank and Gerard’s looks made him feel awkward. 

“And he’s back,” Frank giggled.

“Alright, I guess everything is clear now. Have fun,” Gerard nodded to both of them before heading out.

“Thanks again!”

“Don’t let his soft tone deceive you!”

Those were the last words of wisdom Gerard dropped before disappearing. Frank decided to keep them in mind turning back to Ray. He was faced with his majestically scary look again. Frank needed some time to get used to such dramatic transformations.

“You do be looking good with a sword, man.” Frank tried to keep this comment to himself but he couldn’t help himself.

“If this is some kind of a strategy, it’s weird and it won’t help you.”

“Are we really going to fight?”

“No, you’ll try not to get your ass kicked. Two different things.”

“But you didn’t teach me anything!”

“Gerard gave you everything you need.”

“Gerard dropped two vague comments and left!”

“Trust her. Stay in touch with her. The stronger the bond, the stronger both of you are.”

Frank squeezed the handle tighter. He trusted her. Bella was the only line of defence between Frank and the monstrosity he used to know as Ray Toro. _He trusted her_ when Ray raised his sword. The hit would have probably left Frank beheaded, but his instincts did their job, although Frank wasn’t sure it was _his_ instincts. He blocked the hit with loud metallic clang. The sound deafened Frank for a second but also stirred him up. He flashed Ray a smile and attacked, stepping forward. Toro parried quickly, yet he looked extremely surprised.

“Well, this is going much faster than I expected.”

“We’re catching up.”

Frank looped the sword around in his hand in a quick move, like he’d done it a thousand times before. The handle felt warm and steady, his insides were trembling in anticipation. It felt just like that last second backstage. Just one small step forward and rattling clash of swords, instead of cheerful greeting of the crowd.

***

“Nervous?” Gerard asked quietly.

“That’s an understatement.”

A woman with long black hair was standing by the entrance. Her eyes were slowly sliding over the old houses. They were looking back at her with dark sockets of windows with spots of fire spattered here and there. Her sword laid on the table behind Gerard. She didn’t need it anymore.

“Where’s Mikey?” Her sudden question broke the silence.

“He’s here.” Gerard paused and pondered over his answer. “Somewhere. Isn’t it funny? I’m supposed to know this place like the back of my hand but I can’t find my own brother.”

“You need to know the whole place, he only needs to know you.”

“But I know him too,” a slight note of desperation slipped in Gerard’s voice. Most people wouldn’t notice, but Ruth did. She turned around and fixed her piercing crystal blue eyes at Gerard. The look always made him shiver.

“I’m sorry. That’s not what we should be talking about. Today is your day.”

Gerard noticed a shadow of doubt on his friend’s face.

“I’d love to talk about anything but that. I didn’t think it would be so hard. I mean, my service is done. No more monsters, no more danger, but I’m worried.”

“You don’t know what is to come. Everyone would be worried.”

“But it’s better than this place, right?”

“Of course.”

“Then why am I so scared?”

Gerard hated these questions, because he never had any answers. Ruth was one of his closest friends here. She had been his support and voice of wisdom along with Mikey and Ray. But now she needed him but he didn’t know what to say.

“Maybe you’re afraid that everything will fall apart when you leave,” Gerard smiled. “It could happen.”

“The only thing I know is that the Black Parade won’t fall while you are here.”

Sadness filled the room but it was mild. They smiled and hugged each other tight.

“You’ve seen what comes after life. You’ve seen the face of Hell, in all its hideous forms. And you’ve beaten them all,” Gerard whispered. “You have nothing to be afraid of.”

Ruth squeezed Gerard’s jacket, the last real thing she was sure of.

“Are you crying?” Ruth muttered.

“No, you?”

“No.”

Gerard quickly wiped away the tears on his cheeks and pulled back. He could feel a wet stain on his jacket. He smiled again.

“One last thing,” Ruth said. “You’re a great leader, Gerard. Thoughtful and attentive. You don’t give yourself enough credit. Maybe that’s the reason you haven’t turned into an arrogant asshole yet. You care so much about all of us and especially about Mikey. Maybe it’s time to show it in a way that he can understand. Can you promise me that? Can you promise to try?”

“I promise.” Gerard nodded.

“Good.”

“And you promise to show me a sign. I need to know you’re okay. Otherwise, I won’t sleep ever again.”

“We don’t sleep, Gerard.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

They both chuckled.

“God, I hope there are some decent beds in Heaven. I’m gonna sleep for fifty years. At least.”

“Just give me a sign first.”

“I’ll do my best,” Ruth said with a nod.

“As always.”

They hugged again and froze when they heard the drumroll.

“‘Way Home,’” Ruth whispered.

“Time to go.”

***

“Pretty good for the first time,” Ray smiled, helping Frank get off the ground.

“I believe you meant to say fantastic.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“A little encouragement would be nice,” Frank mumbled, picking Bella off the ground.

“You started out pretty well, but you got carried away and lost control. Bella can’t do all the work. You looked like a puppet swinging your hand back and forth,” Ray said and didn’t hesitate to illustrate. “And watch your legs, for fuck’s sake!”

“Oh, let me get my notebook.” Frank rolled his eyes. “What’s that?”

A drumroll started from afar and now was growing in power, echoing in the very ground.

“‘Way Home,’” Ray said.

“What?”

“Ruth’s day. Her service is done.” Ray looked up at the sky, listening to the steady sound of the drums.

“She’s going to Heaven? Today?”

“Yes, wanna watch?”

“Fuck yeah.”

“Then we’d better hurry.”

***

The sound led them to the wide road outside of the city. A high three-tiered float decorated with red flowers, stood right in the middle of it. The Wasteland was on the left, the Burning City on the right. If, for some reason, you decided you were gonna miss local landscapes and wanted to say goodbye, you wouldn’t find better place.

A lot of people were gathered around the float. Some had skulls painted on their faces, others hid themselves under masks. Some were holding black and dark red flags, slightly torn at the edges. God knew how many ceremonies they’d gone through. And others were beating the drums. A steady but thrilling rhythm telling that something very important was about to happen. ‘Way Home’, that’s how Ray called it. Frank thought the rhythm was more suitable for one’s final walk to the guillotine but he decided to keep it to himself.

“I need to find Gerard. Just keep your eyes on the float and you won’t miss anything.”

Ray patted Frank on the shoulder and disappeared in the crowd that kept growing. Frank had no idea who all these people were and where they came from. He had only spent a few days here, but he hadn’t seen any of these faces before. Had they been hiding? Had they been sleeping _in_ the walls waiting for a special occasion like this? Frank wouldn’t be surprised.

Nightfall here always caught Frank off guard. The grey sky, indifferent to mornings, afternoons and evenings, turned black in a second, shrouding everything in darkness. This sky had no stars and no moon. The only light came from the fires which burned brighter in the night.

As usual, darkness fell instantly but the fires didn’t burn brighter. Tonight they left their shelters and rushed towards the float, slithering through the crowd like little streams. Or snakes. They reminded Frank of snakes.

Finally, he spotted some familiar faces. Lydia and Danny were standing a few feet away from him but the crowd was so dense that it was impossible to get to them. Lydia shot Frank her wide bright smile. Danny waved to him. Danny, a very charming guy with a smooth French accent and a faux hawk with a couple of dark blue locks, was Lydia’s best friend and brother in arms. He had the word “sinner” tattooed on his palm. Frank found it ironic but he liked Danny. He tried to keep up with the modern world and Frank was more than happy to share everything he could with him. Talking about the mortal world calmed him.

Suddenly, the steady sound of the drumroll stopped. Frank turned back to the float. A few people climbed up there. Frank could only recognize Ray and Gerard, but the woman standing in the center was definitely the guest of honor. _Ruth_ , if Frank remembered right. He couldn’t understand the emotions on her face but the way her fingers tugged at the hem of her jacket gave away her worry. Maybe she was uncomfortable with so many eyes gazing at her. Suddenly, Frank felt awkward and looked at Gerard instead. He seemed much calmer. Standing up straight, with his hands behind his back, he looked at the crowd, checking if everything was ready. But the glances he cast at Ruth from time to time told Frank that it wasn’t easy for him either.

“A big day,” Gerard’s voice, loud and steady, finally broke the silence. “Because we’re honoring one more marching who finished her service with dignity. A significant day because we’re once again reminded why we’ve chosen this path. A sad day,” he paused and looked at Ruth. “Because we’re saying goodbye to an old friend.”

“I never liked this part,” a quiet voice said.

“Excuse me?” Frank turned his head to a man on his right.

Frank had definitely seen him before, unlike many of the others here, but he didn’t know his name. The man was a bit taller than Frank, had some gray hair on his temples and was wearing the same uniform but no mask, fortunately. The man’s hand was lying on the handle of the sword. He turned to Frank and sent him a quick smile.

“I’ve never liked this part. Too… sentimental. I’m always on the verge of crying. But this night is especially hard.”

“Is she a close friend of yours?”

“No, no, Ruth is great but no. Her leaving makes me the next in line.”

“Oh, there?”

They both looked up and the man nodded.

“There.”

“You must be excited.”

“Yeah, of course. But I would be even more excited to know exactly where I’m going.”

“Heaven, right?”

“Right, I’d like a more detailed description, though.”

“Well, people always compare everything the most delightful and amazing with Heaven.”

“Yeah, people say a lot of bullshit.”

Frank smiled, looking at him.

“I don’t think we’ve met. Frank.” He reached his hand out to the man.

“Oh, a new-comer? I’m Matthew. Just Matt.” He smiled again, shaking Frank’s hand.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

“So now,” Gerard’s loud voice drew Frank’s attention again. “Awake and Unafraid.”

“Awake and Unafraid,” the crowd echoed.

“What?” Frank whispered.

He turned to Matt but the man was gone. The drumroll started again. A different rhythm this time. 

“Awake and Unafraid,” Ruth’s voice, loud and clear, stopped the drums. There was not a note of doubt in her voice.

At first, Frank thought he’d inhaled too much smoke and now he was hallucinating, but there really was a light spot on Ruth’s chest. And it was growing bigger and shining brighter. In seconds it got too hard to look at and Frank closed his eyes. He couldn’t see Ruth behind the shine anyway. Another second later, and he heard a loud noise like a firework explosion. Or a single beat on a large drum. Frank opened his eyes. Everything appeared to be the same, except for Ruth. She was gone.

“We’ll carry on,” Gerard’s voice was soft, but Frank could still hear it. Just like everyone else.

“We’ll carry on,” the crowd echoed.

“We’ll carry on,” Frank whispered.

***

The crowd disappeared as fast as it had gathered. Vanished. Got lost. Frank couldn’t stop thinking about them hiding in the walls. But he needed to find Ray. The ceremony, Frank thought it was the right word, and his new acquaintance had left him with lots of questions. Frank asked questions _all the time_ , often confusing Ray. Maybe he should give him a rest and get Gerard to clear a few things up for him this time. Frank found both of them at the foot of the float.

“Hey,” he said as he moved closer, drawing their attention.

Ray immediately perked up, Gerard gave him a little smile.

“Hey.”

“I’m sorry. About Ruth.”

“No, no, it’s a good thing. We’re,” Gerard paused to give himself some time to believe in it. “Celebrating.”

“Yeah, I get it but still. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you.”

“And how are you celebrating?”

“Just spending some time together. We don’t have much here.”

“Wanna join?” Ray asked.

Frank and Gerard looked at him surprised.

“Umm, yeah, sure, if… if it’s okay,” Frank looked at Gerard.

“Of course, it is.”

***

Gerard hadn’t lied when he’d said they didn’t have much. The celebration turned out to be a bunch of people shoved into Gerard’s house. All the faces were lit up by soft, warm flames. Gerard, Danny and Lydia were standing in the corner. Lydia’s hand rubbed Gerard’s back from time to time. Frank and Ray sat down at the opposite wall.

“You really don’t know how to party.” Frank turned the dirty empty bottle in his hands upside down.

“We don’t need food or drinks, we can’t get drunk. It’s more like a ritual, really,” Ray answered.

“I’m not gonna let you go on like this. Your next celebration will be a _real_ celebration, I promise.”

Ray chuckled.

“What?”

“Nothing. Looking forward to it.”

“You’re gonna love it.”

Frank smiled and leaned against the wall behind him. Lydia squeezed Gerard’s shoulder again.

“He seems to worry too much about the friend he just sent to Heaven,” Frank pointed out.

“Every time he sends us on a mission, he takes responsibility. He’s just sent a friend to God knows where. Of course, he’s worried.”

“Not even Gerard knows what Heaven’s like?”

“None of us know.”

“So, correct me if I’m wrong, you don’t know what was waiting for you if you hadn’t chosen this place, but you also don’t know what you’re fighting for here?”

“We’re fighting for the people, Frank,” Ray repeated for the millionth time.

“Yeah, sure. But when that hoodie guy gave you a choice, he didn’t say ‘Hell or helping people.’ He said ‘Hell or one hundred years of service to deserve _Heaven,’_ right? You can call me an asshole, but I bet no one made that choice keeping the well-being of the humankind in mind. Not even you.”

They looked at each other. Pissing off the only friend he had here wasn’t Frank’s intention, he just wanted answers, as usual. But here they were. Frank, feeling dizzy like he’d emptied the bottle he held in his hands, and Ray, breathing heavily, trying to calm the storm inside.

“It’s a matter of faith, Frank,” he said quietly.

“Yeah.” Frank nodded. “Would be great to have a bit more than that.”

Frank looked around. It was obviously the wrong time and place for it, but he was angry. At himself, at Ray, at the fucking hoodie guy. He promised himself to punch that asshole in the face the next time he saw him. Frank clenched his fists and decided to listen to the only sensible thought in his head. He dropped the bottle to the floor and left.

Ray watched him go and exhaled loudly, hitting his head against the wall behind him.

“We’re all having a tough time tonight, huh?” Gerard sat down next to him.

“He constantly asks me for something I can’t give.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Have you found Mikey?”

“Do you see him here?” Gerard asked with a bitter smirk.

“He’ll calm down eventually and you’ll make up. You always do.”

“He’s been so patient for such a long time and I’m still stubborn. And scared,” Gerard’s eyes wandered around the room.

“I think he knows.”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t make it any easier.” He went quiet. Ray waited patiently for him to continue. “You know what Ruth said to me today?”

“What?”

Gerard’s eyes paused on something.

“Huh.”

“What’s wrong?” Ray asked.

“Ruth’s sword. She left it right there,” Gerard pointed at the table that was now empty.

“Maybe someone moved it.”

“Yeah, maybe,” he paused. “But who?”


End file.
